Suits & Smiles
by mymindpalace
Summary: A perfect smile was a lot like a perfect suit.   complete


"_**You're a conman – you smile for a living" **__Sara Ellis 2x05 "Unfinished Business"_

The early morning rays of sun shone through the balcony windows, a line bisecting the shadows and falling across Neal's closed eyes. He lay there a few moments, just enjoying the summer warmth against his closed eyelids before stretching and sitting up, feet over the side of his bed and touching the floor, warmed from the sun. Pushing hands through his unruly hair he climbed to his feet; it was almost 7am – Peter would be collecting him at 7.30am sharp to take him to the Bureau.

Like every other day the first thing he did upon waking up was to get out his suit for the day. He may be working with a bunch of FBI agents but that didn't mean he had to dress like one. Walking over the standing wardrobe that occupied the area off to the bottom of his bed he chose his uniform for the day; a black pinstripe Devore 3 piece suit with a light pink shirt and a skinny tie which was a darker shade of pink. From a drawer he selected cufflinks and a tie-bar which would complement his choices for the day.

Walking across the wooden floor of his rented apartment he gazed out at the spectacular view. He still couldn't believe his luck as he woke up every morning; surrounded by stunning views, artistic furniture and the freedom to choose what he did and when he did it. Ok, well maybe the last part was stretching it a little; the tracking anklet reminded him as it sat securely on his ankle, his pyjama pants scrunched against the plastic as he slept.

Pushing open the door beside the kitchenette he walked along the hallway that separated the main living area from the smaller rooms; such as his walk in closest, the room where he kept his paintings and tools and lastly at the end of the corridor, the bathroom.

Pushing open the door he switched on the light. Grabbing the thick towels he quickly stripped off before jumping into the shower. Contrary to what people may assume he didn't spend an hour in the shower and in front of the mirror, preening and vain to make sure that not a single hair was out of place. Yes, of course there was a certain degree of vanity to his personality but he assumed that went along with the lifestyle that he led. Looking good and charming people fell hand in hand; someone was more likely to listen to you if you were well presented in a nice suit, freshly shaven and with a beaming smile rather than someone who looked like they had just rolled out of bed.

Stepping out of the steaming shower he wrapped a towel around his waist and took another and quickly ran it through his hair. Walking over to the sink he grabbed his toothbrush and toothpaste before he started to brush his teeth.

Apart from the immaculate suit and perfectly combed hair, Neal had always felt that the most important aspect of pulling a con was having the right smile. Sara had not been lying when she said he smiled for a living. Smiling was a way of making people trust you, "_See how nice and friendly I am, I'm here to be your friend not steal your most valuable possessions from right under your feet"_. It was one of the easiest and also hardest parts of the con. Anyone could flash a smile or a grin, but it took practice and skill to sell that smile – to make that person believe that you were the most trustworthy person that they were ever going to meet. A con man's smile wasn't about what his lips were doing, Neal mused as he rinsed the toothpaste from his mouth, no; it was the eyes. Any fool can make the muscles in their mouth grin but to get that genuine spark in the eye, to persuade you to do what he wanted took time and skill – and Neal was the master of persuasion and making you see what he wanted to. A good smile could also be a great way of deflecting from what you didn't want someone to see; a pleasant smile as you lifted a wallet from their pocket or as your associates made away with the prize.

Neal's thoughts continued as he walked into the main area of the apartment and over to his bed to get dressed. Putting on a suit was a lot like putting on a smile. When wearing a suit there were certain things that were required; the pants, shirt and jacket – this was like the general curving of the mouth. Extras such as a vest and tie were the quirks to the lips. The added extras like the cufflinks and tie-bar were the shiny extras, which twinkle in the eye that helped sell the dream and idea. Once Neal was dressed in his immaculate suit, feet pushed into black, freshly polished Italian loafers, he walked gracefully towards the door, grabbing his hat as he walked out the door.

As he was walking down the ornate staircase the front door opened to reveal Peter, dressed in one of his infamous suits, his bright yellow tie standing out like a beacon against his white dress shirt.

"C'mon, we've got a big mortgage fraud case today" Peter said as he walked further into the house, waiting for Neal to reach the bottom of the stairs.

"Ready" Neal said as he flipped his hat atop his head with a grin, letting out a laugh at Peter's muttered "cartoon"

He could fake a smile when he wanted but these past few months he found more and more genuine ones passing his lips. He liked it.

_FIN_

**AN/** Well there it is, I hope you enjoyed it._  
><em>I just want to take the time to say a special thank you to Kat for giving me a prompt word that helped spawn this little baby.


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